[MARMAM] mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins in Mozambique (fwd)

[MARMAM Editors]

MARMAM readers,

While we do not normally forward messages regarding single strandings,
or even mass strandings of species which regularly mass strand, mass
strandings of bottlenose dolphins are rare enough that forwarding on
this message to the list seems warranted.

MARMAM Editors

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Dear All,

The attached horrific pictures were taken at Bazaruto Island this past
Saturday at approximately 16.00pm by myself and Derryk from Gone Fishin
Pestana Bazaruto

In total we witnessed 37 dead bottlenose dolphins on the beach and another
barely alive one, of which we managed to get back into the water and after
30 minutes helping to resucitate it managed to swim past the shore
breakers.  This dolphin also turned back to the shore 4 times before
heading out, to its inevitable death one would assume.

We received further information from a couple of locals that in the
morning at approximately 9am there were 41 dolphins on the beach of which
a couple (approximately 6?) having been rescued and returned to the ocean
at that time. We assume therefore that the pod consisted of between 44 -
47 dolphins. On inspection of the dolphins, to our untrained eyes, there
were no discernable marks or otherwise indicating what may have caused
this mass beaching. All dolphins witnessed appeared to be adults, there
were no juveniles amongst them. They were spread over an area of
approximately 200 meters of beach, no other marine life of any description
was noted within virtually the whole ocean facing coastal expanse.

Malcolm Warrick, a dolphin specialist and a team of National Geographic
filmakers were consulted and they arrived on Bazaruto on Sunday midday to
further investigate this very disturbing phenomenon.

Further information has recently been received that a seismic buoy has
been sighted around the Arcihpelago.

Further photos are available on request.

Nick

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Nick Raba
Director
nick.raba at kangela-mz.com
Av. Das Industrias 605
Machava
Mocambique
tel: +258 21 748 088
tel2:+258 21 748089/90
fax: +258 21 750 630
mobile: +258 82 307 1940
www.kangelaenergy.co.za www.kangela.co.za